A Home Filled with Old and New Memories

Quote of the day: Be someone you're not for a day, and you'll see how much you miss yourself.

The Indon construction workers started renovation at full gear yesterday. The tiles on the front porch and the aluminium awning have been removed.


And so my dad, more excited than me...
D: Eh, come over after work to clear your room. Throw out what you don't want anymore, keep what you want in a box or bag and put one side.
Me: What about this weekend? *I'm thinking, WHOA, I am prepared for that, but it's going to be a whole day activity*
D: My workers going to hack up the parquet oredi! You want to do it this weekend ah, then few days wasted you know.
Me: !!!!!!! ...... ok lor.

I did the unspeakable. I am no longer the karang guni woman I used to be. I literally took one look and trash away A LOT of things without the usual wishy-washy-aiyer,dunno this is one useful or not in future hor-indecisive habit. There were also many things I could never possible throw away.

My memories. In the form of ..... AUTOGRAPH books! Wah seh, more pictures soon ok! And lots of photos. Photos of myself ten years ago, slouching in school uniform, looking very 'pitiful'.

I also kept many 'love notes', letters and gifts from guys I never dared to go out with because I was clueless and a katak di bawah tempurung.

And I never realized how clueless I was until I saw this. (WC, see, I kept it!)


I didn't realize a lot of things when I was younger. Including how much effort this took. And I will say it now that I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

This has been my room for 10 over years, where I spent my clueless years, daydreaming, studying, sleeping, painting, drawing and more daydreaming.

That was the desk I hid under, and cried for hours during the times when my mother was this angry unhappy person and took it out on me. Once, I found myself so hurt that I pressed a blade on my wrist. Ah yes... that very desk. And if you look very very closely in 10X zoom, on the wall above the desk, etched are the words "I HATE YOU". Frankly speaking, I forgot what it meant and why I did it. Anyway, my rubbish=5 black trash bags.

They say public toilets in Malaysia are terrible. This is no different.


We're revamping this one, it's the master bathroom.


Master bedroom, in need of a makeover.


It's going to be a lot of hard work. But I have a feeling it's going to be worth it.

Are we Alone?

Quote of the day: If you feel like you have not grown up... so be it.

Last Saturday, my dad moved into his new pad. It's on the third level of a three-level townhouse, 5 minutes to his office now. My mom and dad are equal now, super-officially separated. Both living on their own, in a three-level townhouse. This shall be a post on its own.

I took some pictures, but DAMNIT! It's all gone. Either Daniel or my 7 yr-old cousin must've deleted them.

I feel kinda sad. I feel sad when I see old people living on their own. I just can't take it. Sure, my dad is old, but still young enough to work and live independently, but old enough to deserve a complete family's kind of warmth, you know what I mean. Seriously, it's their own doing that they are where they are right now. Nobody's fault, and everybody's fault. What can I do.

When I first visited my mom's one-bedroom cozy apartment, I never realized she got all the work done on her own, perhaps with the help of her Anata, without telling me anything at all. And because she's a woman and woman are usually better at domestic management of the household, I was relieved. She got it going, and I'm relieved because she is also a happier person now.

My dad, oh, he's the typical alpha male. Or so I thought. I never remember him cooking or cleaning. That is why I had a different reaction of him living on his own in a new place. I was worried. Gradually, I realized he does have his own system of household management. It may not be my way, or should I say the woman's way, but it's still a way. His way. Rugged, chin-chai and fuss-free.

Well, come to think of it, my father-in-law is also living on his own now since the death of my mother-in-law November last year.

Everybody's gotta move on hey.

I realized a possiblity too, and this is going to be a spoiler. Eventually, we'll all end up A-LONE.

Just Grousing

Quote of the day: Instead of getting married again, I’m going to find a woman I don’t like and just give her a house –Rod Stewart

Driving in the city filled with ugly drivers who are not civic-minded and who think only for themselves, have made me cold.

I showed my WTF handsign to one such driver this morning at the Singapore Custom. JJW 9482. I never show handsigns. But this morning, I've had enough.

I really don't mean FUCKYOU. I want to let these f-ers feel bad at least, that is if they have ANY humility in them at all. I want to send a message that it's rude to cut queue and the should be ashamed of themselves.

These queue-cutters are very thick-skinned, and in my experience, they are usually the balding fat cheena uncles and the Young&Dangerous ku-wat-chais. They just want to get there faster. They want to be in the lane that moves faster. Everything want fast fast.

I used to get uptight in the company of such drivers. Now, I am a laidback driver. Because a few more cars ahead of me just means I am at most 5 minutes behind. But I do hate drivers that take advantage of drivers like me, who gives way.

There must be a way to educate road-users. I'm thinking of producing bumper stickers that has courtesy messages. I've never seen one in Malaysia or even Singapore. Perhaps I should suggests to Radio Stations first, because they always have this car decals giveways. Get them to print a line like "QUEUE. You'll still get there"

It's just one of those days you feel like seeing this happen to fugly people.

Countdown

Quote of the day: Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place. –Billy Crystal

I AM counting down to New Year's Day. Because we're moving!

Eleven more weekends for me to use efficiently, not counting the long weekend break I will be taking with the hubbie, to KRRRRAAAABI!

I engaged the services of a feng shui master last Saturday for consultation on house29. He's a nice old chap, not the commercialized ones like Lilian Too et al. He's more like the neighbourhood word-of-mouth kind, recommended by my babysitter. For this kind of network, the 'aunties' know a lot more than you think.

Nothing extravagant, just basic feng shui tips that I learnt from him. All he needed was our birth dates, his compass, 'book' and his good sense. I've always believed that creating good feng shui is based on your 'feel' in the house, the way your furniture is arranged, the colour, the exterior, essentially every object in and around your house. It has gotta 'feel' right. Like a good flow of movement. A good CHI / energy.

Well, it's right. An instinctive eye for interior design counts. But there were many little tips that I could not have possible learnt from books or the internet.

The new home faces the South. It's a good direction for the both of us. And we won't get direct sunlight, which means the home will be cool all day. It's true because I've lived there for more than 10 years. Then I moved to my marital home that faces the West. NEVER buy a home that faces the West because it gets bloody HOT in the evening! It also depends on your house structural design. But nonetheless, we get the heat of the evening sun, so our living and dining room is practically a 'stuffy' sauna, unless it's a rainy or cloudy day.

Place your bed in a way that the bedhead is at the East, means you sleep facing the West. This means the sun rises behind you at the start of each day. Anything 'big', 'rising', mountaineous', 'strong support' behind you is good. But NOT in front of you. This especially is applicable in your office or workplace. Anything big in front of you means obstacles in your work. Make sense?

Keep your bathroom doors closed. This is for health. Leaving your bathroom doors open could 'flush away' your children's and your health. Same thing if your bathroom happens to face the main door. Good things that come in, will end up in the toilet.

Your stove and refrigerator should not be opposite of each other. Stove represents fire and the fridge, water. CLASH.BIG.TIME.

If you have a stairwell, keep it well lit. Chi should flow smoothly to the upper floor. And so that you don't slip and fall. Logik la.

And so the date is set. First day of the first month of the year 2008. New beginning in a new home. Pictures I promise. By the way, as important as it is, good feng shui doesn't guarantee that you'll strike the Toto or something. I believe it just gives you a good feeling about your home and to prevent any untoward events.

Sleeping To Dream

Quote of the day: See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time –Robin Williams

I'm in love. With Jason Mraz's unplugged Sleeping To Dream. What a feel-good-in-love tune.

In one of those social surveys done somewhere, usually in America, they say men are happier. Women USED to be happier.
There are many factors conferring this happy state.

Men, in general are doing things that make them happy. It's no longer work, work, work, bring home the bacon work. Men are improving the quality of their lives by having more time for themselves for hobbies, activities like golf, night golf, 9-hole, 18-hole and golf tournaments. OK la, and other pastimes and sports.

Women, they didn't say women are unhappier la, BUT I think women in general are getting.... more stressed. I'm referring more to working mothers. More women are studying and working as hard, in the workforce and at home. There are more responsibilites to shoulder, more commitments, more traffic to plough through to make it home in time , more chores, more everything. The only thing not getting more is time.

They also say women are now more likely to have one-night-stands, make first moves and affairs. I guess it's like fashion, it's going back to retro style.

Dai siu ye in the making.

Homes and Haircuts

Quote of the day: Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself –Roseanne

This month is a miracle. Instead of my usual edgy grouchy PMS, I had the total opposite. I was in euphoria. Everything was sunshine-good. I was emotionally positive, like I've just fallen in love. Wow, what a feeling. Now, I have to reproduce this bed-of-roses formula next month and the next, and the next. If only I knew how to!

***

A colleague's housewarming party in the East.


We had steamboat dinner! Paul and I ate peacefully. Daniel didn't want us anymore because he had other friends and a truckload of toys to play with. It's a paradise! Oh ya, new haircut/shave. So National Service.


I'm more inspired and motivated to renovate my house29 now. It's a wreck! Infested with termites! Your feet will turn BLACK after walking a few steps. As in charchoal BLACK! If you want to dye your hair ebony black, don't bother going to the salon. Come to my house29! Sweep your hair 3 times around the living room and there you have it!! I'm usually a reuse & recycling person, but this time I'm not going to be Miss Save The Earth. Everything in that house HAS to go. To prevent myself from being karang guni auntie (I Am one), I shall blindfold myself and trash everything away.

Frontyard of house29.


It's a mess!

I can't wait to see the end result. So fun, this will be like a mini not-so-Extreme Makeover, the Home Edition. Yay!

A Small Town's Charm

I was in Sungai Siput, a small town off Ipoh, for 4 days over the weekend. It's kinda felt like a semi-vacation, because I could take naps every afternoon with Daniel, and (main reason) I didn't have to do the laundry or any cleaning because we were the guests in the home of Paul's uncle. The same house we stayed at during the CNY this year.

How much does it cost to build a bungalow like this in Sungai Siput and Ipoh?



Enough garden space for two adult dogs and two puppies to roam about, enough porch space for 3 cars, 8 bedrooms where an average size of a room is enough for 5 king-sized beds.



Land+house=RM400,000. That's freaking cheap for a freaking big house! It's almost like an inn!

But the house is not what makes the home. It's the family. This is one amazingly dynamic household. Everyone in the family is always doing something whether it's cooking, helping out in the kitchen, peeling something somewhere, plucking out the weeds, watering the plants, playing with the dogs, feeding the dogs, washing the car, just keep going but it doesn't make you feel tired watching them because they do it so naturally, with ease, like it's part of their everyday routine. How do they do it! Everyone has a role. Here's the best part, the amazing people here includes the men. YES. The father, the two filial grown-up sons. I am utterly impressed. The Domestic King and Princes.

This is where most of the hustle and bustle take place. Outside the kitchen where there are the traditional charcoal stoves for brewing huge pots of red bean soup, whatever soup to feed 50 people.

Aunt-in-law. THE superwoman who can cook any Chinese dish you name.


I couldn't help but wonder why I feel this way. Is it because I was brought up in an environment opposite of that? My dad never cooks or clean effectively. And now, my husband, although I would say he's much better, but still not up to expectations. So, from the point of view from someone who is surrounded by male chauvinist influences all her life, I just have to make this a big deal.

Another advantage of having a big family is having less stress as your wedding approaches. All you need is to settle your gowns and your make-up. The other traditional what-nots are usually taken care of by the older more traditional folks. Sadly, I didn't have that luxury.

The wedding dinner was held in a hall with no walls. It reminds me of my school hall. No air-conditioning. The ambience was certainly no Shangri-La, but the atmosphere was lively and warm. Everything just fell into place and it warms your heart. Like the wild laughter we had when Daniel and his 6 year old cousin unexpectedly walked onto the stage to sing karaoke. That took us by surprise. We thought he'd be embarrased but he felt as confident as a peacock standing beside his cousin, holding the mike, dancing a little and not feeling an ounce of fear or embarrassment as the crowd roared with laughter. They're like brothers going through thick and thin! It's such an amazing bond no one could explain. Daniel was just like Ah Koon's shadow the first day they met.



What a charm. That big house is going to to be filled with good memories and lots of love. And it'll be nice to visit now and then.

More photos...
The dog called Only, because he was he only one left in the pound to adopt. Only is a very lucky dog now, with all that space to run in.

Daniel took this photo.

More dogs...



Recently, he developed his trademark camera hand-pose. It's a variation from the typical Asian act-cute show-TWO finger pose. I remember it was the IN pose when you have a fun group photos taken. Then it kinda fades off. Well, not anymore folks! Daniel has brought the finger-pose rave back! Everybody is acting cute now!





Y'ALL SHAKE YOUR TAIL FEATHER IN DA HOUSE.. UHHUH UHHUH

The Thing About The Truth Is...It's Scary.

(forgot to click 'PUBLISH POST' last week...long overdue one)
Quote of the day: It's easy to be mean.

All the Season's rose flavoured snow skin mooncakes are sold out. I should be thankful I had the chance to eat one this year. I was craving for it so much for the past two days but all I get is disappointment when I reach the Season's stall with bated breath. Now I have to wait for one whole year.

Anyone watched The Brave One? It's a thinker's movie. It has this subtle growing effect on you after watching it. Very 'stirring'. If you want to know about the movie, read on.

It's about a woman (played by Jodie Foster) whose life changed after she and her beloved fiance were victims of a brutal assault which resulted in his death. All this after an innocent walk in the park, by a group of drunkard violent youths. I find this eerily familiar, because I live in a city where this kind of crime is not impossible. Not drunkards, but drug addicts.

After a 3-weeks coma and a long hard recovery, she goes home. She tries to accept the fact and move on, but fear haunts her. She's afraid to leave her home. She's afraid of walking the streets of New York. She's afraid of people.

She buys a gun, for $1000, off the black market, unlicenced. I bet a lot of Johoreans wished they could do that huh.

She keeps it in her bag for protection. On a fateful day, she used it for the first time in the subway train. A couple of African-American youths were terrorizing this other kid. They take his iPod. They go on to terrorize this grandfather and his frightened grandchild. All this while, she just sits in the corner. Detached and nonchalant.

The frightened trio left the train leaving her and the two aggressors in the train. They notice her. They start to intimidate her. One of them took a knife out and pointed it at her neck. She just looks up numbly at them. Then...

BANG BANG! The two youths are down in a pool of their own blood. She walks out at the next stop and goes home.

"I have become this different person"

I'll stop here. And that's not even the climax. Go watch it! Apart from the superb performance by Jodie Foster and Terence Howard (that awesomely charming Black-mix actor with honey eyes), it's the message that boggles your mind. Now I know why it's number 1 blockbuster in US. She didn't become bad. It's controversial. For some, her new-found mad courage is supported because she is, after all, killing bad people. And I think here's the punch: Deep down, you'd want to kill the person who brought harm to you and your loved ones, but you just can't because ...you JUST can't! But this woman, she could somehow cross the line between right and wrong although she's a righteous, sensible and mentally normal person. The shock, trauma and the loss of her loved one is so great that forgiveness is something that doesn't exist.

It's a brilliant movie.

Here's my dark confession... something probable. I WILL kill my perpetrator, if given the opportunity. Not hurt, not immobilize him, not even hesitating. I think I have the courage. I build this courage of vengeance over the years of reading news of violent crimes happening in my own city. I imagine a lot. With that, I think I will be able to bring myself to kill someone who is at the other side of the law. I'm not scared of blood. I have no humane feelings for bad people. I am capable of detachment.

It's scary when you discover how genuinely evil you can be. Have I become a monster?

***
Little joke to tickle you IT whizkids: "Where did I come from?"
Mom and Dad met each other in a cyber cafe. In the restrooms of that cyber cafe,dad connected to mom. Mom at that time made some downloads from dad's memory stick. When dad finished uploading we discovered we used no firewall. Since it was too late to cancel or delete, nine months later we ended up with a virus.

Nia hahahahaha!

Politicians Getting Older

Quote of the day: Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake whole relationships –Sharon Stone

Let's see what we have here on the political arena that is getting hotter recently.

1. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Hardtalk with BBC. Can be found in youtube. Just search for "BALDING LIAR". Ooops, I mean "Malaysian Foreign Affair Minister BBC Hardtalk" in any order. There are 4 parts, and if you want your blood cells to rupture in an explosive fashion/laugh hysterically and keel over/both, please do check it out. And be patient, as you know how long these things take to load.

2. The recent video made public by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a video of the conversation in 2002, between "prominent lawyer" VK Lingam and Ahmad Fairuz, then Chief Judge of Malaya, which what looks like a process of 'appointment fixing'. Few months after that phone conversation, Ahmad Fairuz became the Chief Justice.

Drama.

Transcript of the conversation

Don't we just love the internet...

Whatever...

Quote of the day: If all else fail, act stupid.

My SMARTASS husband fed the baby some koko krunch right before his bedtime. Sanely, who wants nen-nen when you have koko krunch right. If baby had his nen-nen, then he'd sleep through the night. But NOOOOOOOO, smartass just had to tempt the baby. And guess who had to feed him at 4 in the morning.

I can't stand stupidity.

Then I spent an hour tossing in bed, angry. I even had a dream feeling angry. Then here's the juicy part about one of my dream. I was driving a car, with 3 or 4 other people in it. My hubbie, his buddies and one of my female colleague and her boyfriend. They were comparing penis size!! Golly!! My female colleague had a penis!!! And I remember thinking, "Wow, this is my chance to see what other penises look like upclose in real life". But I kept my eyes focused on the road. Even in my dream I am a responsible driver. Come to think of it, it is pretty sick seeing that erect thing being part of her. Very strange dream indeed.

I'm going to feel sleepy for the rest of day.

***
Here's for the blessed folks who are Bahasa-literate.


Berikut adalah perbezaan antara filem/drama MELAYU, CINA dan INDIA.

Drama/Filem Melayu

1. 80% jalan cerita berkisar tentang:

Cinta.
Cinta 3 segi.
Cinta 4 segi.
Anak-anak rebut harta pusaka.
Kalau keluarga kaya, anak2 rebut sapa nak gantikan Tan Sri (ayah) jadi Pengerusi, CEO atau Presiden syarikat.
2. Walau pun cerita pasal awek kilang, rumah awek kilang ni mesti complete furnished. Ada TV 29", Home Teatre, peti sejuk besar, set sofa mewah. (Director tak buat homework ker? Pegi la tengok umah awek kilang kat Sungei Way tu).

3. Cerita polis lak, dialah pegawai penyiasat, dialah jadi forensic, dialah jadi pathologist, dialah yang gi ambush. Semuanya DIA yang buat. Polis lak dialog pakai bahasa baku. "Saya rasa kita patut siasat dengan lebih terperinci tuan". " Betul cadangan awak itu. Kita bertindak sekarang".

4. Kalau cerita pasal Construction, bawak satu pelan gulung, pakai topi KUNING, tunjuk-tunjuk kat bangunan tengah buat, discuss dengan 'kepala' Indon komplen kenapa projek lambat siap kat Indon tadi. ( Topi kuning utk pekerja buruh la bang ).

5. Adegan doktor kat Wad check pesakit. Ambik fail hujung katil, selak-selak. Dialog wajib : "Kesihatan awak bertambah baik. Banyakkan berehat dan jangan lupa makan ubat " . (Woi bang, tengokla cerita ER tu, Dr ada medical terms dia ).

6. Adegan kat umah. Ayah mesti tengah baca paper, Mak mesti tengah menjahit atau lipat baju. Orang gaji tengah basuh pinggan. Orang gaji mesti nama dia Mak Nab atau Mak Jah.

7. Nak panjangkan rakaman filem mesti ada adegan kereta sampai kat umah, bukak pintu kereta, bukak pintu pagar, masuk balik kereta, drive masuk car porch, keluar, tutup pintu pagar.

8. Adegan sembahyang mesti dah salam akhir or adegan mengaji Quran mesti dah sampai part sadakallah hulazim. (Cover line kot ).

9. Gangster atau kuncu orang jahat mesti pakai baju takder lengan, pakai rantai dan pakai bracelet.

10. Nak bagi sedih gila, mesti buat adegan dah tahu nak mati pasal kena barah otak.

Drama/Filem Cina.

1. Cerita Kungfu, hero terror boleh terbang. Tapi sambung pengembaraan mesti jalan kaki. Apsal tak terbang jek. Kan cepat sampai.

2. Hero mesti miskin gila. Tapi mesti ada sekeping or 2 keping duit siling kat celah lengan besar jubah dia.

3. Kalau cerita moden hero boleh lawan dan tewaskan 30 orang penjahat serentak.

4. Biasalah, kalau kena tembak mesti kat bahu or kat kaki. Tak mati.

5. Heroin mesti jadi bini or girlfriend boss penjahat dan jatuh cinta kat hero.

6. Hero mesti menembak pakai 2 pistol, kiri dan kanan. Macam Chow Yuen Fatt dalam filem 'A Better Tomorrow'. Tapi best ooo.....

7. Pistol hero mesti peluru tak habis2. Tak payah reload.

8. Cerita hantu, hantu dia biasanya pakai bedak muka tebal2 dan hitamkan keliling mata. Kat bibir ada darah meleleh. ( Tak seram pun ).

9. Kalau cerita lucu plak, mesti ada adegan air liur meleleh keluar mulut macam air paip.

10. Cerita Blue dia pun tak best. Awek mengerang jek lebih .

Drama/Filem India/Hindustan.

1. Biasalah, kebanyakan cerita bermula dengan 2 beradik terpisah. Sorang di bela oleh orang jahat dan sorang lagi dibela oleh orang baik. Dah besar, abang jadi Inspektor Sahab dan adik jadi gangster. Nak abih cerita mesti adik kena tembak ngan abang dan waktu nazak baru si abang tahu yang dia tembak tadi adalah adiknya sendiri melalui tanda parut.

2. Orang jahat digambarkan tersangat jahat sampai lembu pun takut.

3. Selalunya depa suka ciplak bulat2 filem barat macam Pretty Woman, Face Off dan Heat.

4. Paling pendek pun jangkamasa tayangan adalah 3 jam.

5. Orang jahat dan hero payah nak mati walaupun kepala dah kena ketuk dengan tukul besi.

6. Hero tak kena tembak walaupun ditembak dari jarak satu kaki.

7. Adegan joget sambil menyanyi akan melibatkan penari iringan seramai satu kampong dan bertukar 7 atau 8 pasang pakaian untuk setiap lokasi hanya untuk satu lagu.

8. Adegan keretapi tak leh tertinggal. Joget reramai sampai atas bumbung keretapi.

9. Kalau cerita moden, dialog mesti bercampur bahasa omputeh dan Hindi. Contoh ' I'm sorry. I didn't know that na pere tomhe cha....bla.. ..bla.... bla...' .

10. Biasanya plot dan jalan cerita da boleh baca apa penyudahnya. Tu yang pelik ramai plak yang tunggu sampai abih.

Sekian laporan ikhlas untuk pedoman tuan2 director filem.

Recent Achievements

Quote of the day: Planning for happiness is rarely successful. Happiness just happens. - Robert Half.
The morning look.

I really love my beanbag. It hugs you. It makes you sink deeper and makes it harder to get up. I should replace the couch with beanbags. Guests who visit will sit on beanbags. Two people can even share a beanbag. Hmmm... on second thoughts, my aging mom and dad might not be able to get up. But that's ok, they can sit on the rocking chair and eat biscuits.

The breakfast on the floor.

This was taken after we came back from our first childcare trial (previous post). Did I mention I washed his hands twice, with dettol handwash? I'm getting paranoid aren't I.

My favourite mascara. Loreal's Double Extension with Fortifying Base Coat and Ultra-Lengthening Mascara.

It's free. Courtesy of hubbie who attended Guardian fair, and brought back a truckload of bodycare goodies. He even bodek some promoters for some trial packs of Clinique 3-step facecare... for HIMSELF. That vainpot.

My wedding studio scrappages.






The attention is on the paper's design. I mean who cares about the bride and groom right.

Other scrapbook layout I managed to complete these past few weeks.










I just can't get enough of it.

Barney Overdose

I bought 3 Barney VCDs, and a Sesame Street All-Star Alphabet, and I gotta tell you, as a 30 year-old adult, I enjoyed the Sesame Street immensely. I was dancin' and groovin' along!! I love Sesame Street! It's so entertaining!

I wished the childcare class was as fun as Barney's learning sessions. Yesterday, I was on leave and had too much time on my hands, so I took the little rascal to his first and LAST day at the childcare centre. Actually, we only spent an hour in class. Daniel liked it. I didn't. It's called being-a-fussy-adult syndrome.

SO. We went to look for the principal, but she wasn't in yet ( 9am already lor ). So, a kind teacher led me to the childcare class to sit in for a while and to observe.

There were about 20 kids, and 4 teachers/assistants. A Chinese lady/'auntie' was teaching simple Chinese characters and how to write the Chinese strokes. She wasn't very ...eerrrm, I would say, kid-friendly. Maybe I watch too much Barney. I think a teacher who teaches kids have to make the lessons interesting in a kiddy way, like when you speak, you gotta have enthusiasm, and be animated. But the teachers in there seems 'detached', like they were teaching for the sake of working. I understand being a kindergarten teacher is exhausting. And maybe I'm asking for too much.

Daniel thinks he's the class monitor. He 'tegur' a budak who wasn't paying attention in class. Taiko betul.

Seriously, it was a boring class to me. And it was class of GERMS. I don't even want to talk about that.

So we left. The principal was busy anyway.

I went to another house-converted-to-mini-childcare-centre. It's called Hi-Five. Cool, I thought. Maybe it's as fun as Hi-Five.

I peered through the living room window and I saw new-ish colourful children's furniture. Good start, I thought. I peered through another window to see if there was any adult I could talk to. I saw a group of children, 5 kids, about 4-5 year olds, sitting on the marble floor in a circle, playing with something. It was quiet. It was unbelievable. I've never seen a QUIET group of kids! Daniel would disrupt this peace-loving little community. So, I saved them. I walked away.

We went home and spend the rest of the day at Barney and Ally's little childcarelove centre. It's called home. It's the best.

I know someday I will have to let go.

Stinky Cuttlefish Overdose

Quote of the day: “If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.” -Bette Davis


My mouth stinks. I ate too much crispy sotong. Oh-so-good.

It's been raining everyday. Is it the curse of Rihanna's over-played song 'Umbrella" -ella -ella -ella?
No kidding. It's either heavy clouds, dark clouds or rain. I'm getting seasonally depressed. I need SUN. I need to photosynthesize big-time.

My blessed weekend was as usual, filled with excitement of going to the market, cooking meals and playing with the terrorist. I couldn't scrapbook because I slept whenever I could. Thank goodness, hubbie is around to keep the little one busy, but it's fair I guess since I had my share of single-parent moments.

I bought a bean bag cover and 8 bags (adult pillow size) of foam beads to fill it. Daniel loves it so much, he keeps diving into it. Hubbie and I love it too, we 'christened' it last night.

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If I was the teacher reading this, I'd die rolling on the floor. I'd probably give him markah 95 before I die. Kids these days huh, evil humour. (Click on image to get enlarged version. For those who totally cannot read his handwriting or don't understand what the hell he is writing, just tell me, I will translate)